Mark Slaughter (6,889 views)

[falsetokaiba]

Mark Allen Slaughter (4 July 1964 -)
Years Active: 1979 - present
Associated Acts: Vinnie Vincent Invasion (1986 - 1989), Slaughter (1988 - present, on hiatus since 1999), Solo (2007 - present)
Vocal Range: B♭1 - D6 (4 Octaves + 4 Semitones)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Vocal Analysis}Emerging at the tail end of the North American 'hair metal' scene, Slaughter has been compared to vocalists such as Sebastian Bach and Miljenko Matijevic for his fluidly mixed upper register and powerful fifth octave notes. With his soaring highs forming the basis of most of his music in the 1980s and 90s, Slaughter was able to switch in his upper register from a cleaner sound to a more Axl Rose-esque distorted approach, consistently sustaining notes and singing extremely challenging melodies throughout the fifth octave with impressive control. Perhaps his most famed asset was his ability to push remarkably high in his mix, being able even in a live setting to slide up as high as C6 (see this performance of 'Loaded Gun' as a good example) without any noticeable change in registers. Slaughter's highest note is a D6 in 'Reach for the Sky', again performed in an upwards slide without any clear breaks.
More surprisingly, although he didn't have call to exercise it particularly frequently, Slaughter possessed a very able lower register; although he more commonly saved his lower register for overdubbed backing vocals, Slaughter showed even in his youth some strong singing around E2-F2, and even remarkably some notes as low as B♭1.
Despite his extremely demanding style and surgery for vocal nodules in 1992, Slaughter's voice has actually held up pretty well, releasing his first solo album in 2015. Although his upper register carries more of a husky tone, particularly on those headier sustained high notes, Slaughter has still shown the ability to sing in passages up to E5, and to sustain gritty mid fifth octave notes (even making it up to a brief C6 on one occasion) with solid control.
Overall, I would call Slaughter one of the most technically accomplished rock singers of his era.
Written by falsetokaiba.

Significant High Notes:

D6 ("Reach for the Sky")
C♯6 ("Eye To Eye" From 'Stick It Live')
C6 ("Away I Go", "Fly to the Angels" Unspecified live performance, "Loaded Gun")
B5 ("Do Ya Know", "Move to the Music", "Turn It")
B♭5 ("Reach for the Sky")
A5 ("All Fired Up", "Away I Go", "Baby Wants", "Breakout", "Burn", "Burnin' Bridges", "Dance for Me Baby", "Dangerous", "Deeper and Deeper", "Dirty Rhythm", "Do Ya Know", "Eye to Eye", "Heavy Pettin'", "Let Freedom Rock", "Loaded Gun", "Love Kills", "Mad About You", "Move to the Music", "Take Me Away", "That Time of Year", "Thrill of the Chase", "Times They Change", "Tongue N' Groove", "Trailer Park Boogie", "Turn It", "Unknown Destination")
G♯5 ("Back In the Saddle", "Gave Me Your Heart", "I'm the One", "Perfect World", "Up All Night" (live Filmore 2008), "Velcro Jesus")
G5 ("Breakout", "Deeper and Deeper", "Dirty Rhythm", "Desperately", "Do Ya Know", "Heavy Pettin'", "Halfway There", "It'll Be Alright", "Let Freedom Rock", "Naughty Naughty", "Never Givin Up", "Old Man", "Reach for the Sky", "Real Love", "Rock and Roll" 'Back In the Saddle' version, "She Wants More", "Spend My Life", "Street of Broken Hearts", "Up All Night")
F♯5 ("Ashes to Ashes", "Back In the Saddle", "Breakdown n' Cry", "Burn", "Ecstasy", "Forevermore", "Get Used To It", "Hey You", "Hold On", "I'm the One", "Loaded Gun", "On My Own", "She Wants More", "Yesterday's Gone")
F5 ("All Fired Up", "Can We Find A Way", "Dangerous", "Headin for A Dream", "Killin Time", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Loaded Gun", "Love Kills", "Mad About You", "Move to the Music", "Out for Love", "Perfect World", "Searchin'", "That's Not Enough", "That Time of Year", "Thrill of the Chase", "Times They Change", "Tongue N' Groove", "Trailer Park Boogie", "Unknown Destination", "The Wild Life")
E5 ("Ashes to Ashes", "Away I Go", "Breakout", "Burn", "Burnin' Bridges", "Dance for Me Baby", "Deeper and Deeper", "Dirty Rhythm", "Do Ya Know", "Ecstasy", "Fly to the Angels", "Heavy Pettin'", "Let Freedom Rock", "Naughty Naughty", "Real Love", "Reckless", "Rock and Roll" 'Back In the Saddle' version, "Spend My Life", "Street of Broken Hearts", "Wingin' It")
E♭5 ("Back In the Saddle", "Bad Groove", "Forevermore", "Gave Me Your Heart", "Headin for A Dream", "Hold On", "I'm the One", "Live Like There's No Tomorrow", "Nothin' Left to Lose", "Old Man", "On My Own", "Reach for the Sky", "Supernatural", "Up All Night" (live Filmore 2008) "The Wild Life", "You Are the One", "You're My Everything")
D5 ("All Fired Up", "Breakdown n' Cry", "Burnin' Bridges", "Can We Find A Way", "Dance for Me Baby", "Dangerous", "Days Gone By", "Deep in Her Heart", "Desperately", "Dirty Rhythm", "Eye to Eye", "Fly to the Angels", "Get Used To It", "Hard Times", "Heavy Pettin'", "It'll Be Alright", "Killin Time", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Loaded Gun", "Love is Forever", "Love Kills", "Mad About You", "Move to the Music", "Naughty Naughty", "Out for Love", "Outta My Head", "Perfect World", "Real Love", "Rocky Mountain Way", "Shake This Place", "She Wants More", "Take Me Away", "That's Not Enough", "That Time of Year", "Thrill of the Chase", "Times They Change", "Tongue N' Groove", "Unknown Destination", "Up All Night", "You Are the One")
C♯5 ("Ashes to Ashes", "Conspiracy", "Deeper and Deeper", "Devoted", "Don't Turn Away", "Ecstasy", "Forevermore", "Gave Me Your Heart", "Heat of the Moment", "On My Own", "Street of Broken Hearts", "Thy Will Be Done", "Wingin' It", "Yesterday's Gone", "You're My Everything")
C5 ("Away I Go", "Baby Wants", "Bad Groove", "Deep in Her Heart", "Eye to Eye", "Hard Times", "Hard to Say Good-Bye", "Headin for A Dream", "Hold On", "Let Freedom Rock", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Live Like There's No Tomorrow", "Love Kills", "Mad About You", "Miss Elainious", "Nothin' Left to Lose", "Old Man", "Outta My Head", "Over the Mountain", "Perfect World", "Reach for the Sky", "Rock and Roll" 'Back In the Saddle' version, "Rocky Mountain Way", "Searchin'", "Shake This Place", "Spend My Life", "Supernatural", "Take Me Away", "That Time of Year", "Tongue N' Groove", "Trailer Park Boogie", "Turn It", "Unknown Destination", "Up All Night", "The Wild Life")
B4 ("Back In the Saddle", "Breakdown n' Cry", "Carry Me Back Home", "Days Gone By", "Desperately", "Disposable", "Don't Turn Away", "Ecstasy", "Get Used To It", "Halfway There", "Heat of the Moment", "It'll Be Alright", "Never Givin Up", "Not Here", "Reckless", "Somewhere Isn't Here", "Thy Will Be Done", "Velcro Jesus", "Yesterday's Gone", "You're My Everything")
B♭4 ("American Pie", "Burnin' Bridges", "Can I Play With Madness?", "Can We Find A Way", "Carry Me Back Home", "Dangerous", "Days Gone By", "Devoted", "Fly to the Angels", "Love is Forever", "I'm Gone", "I'm the One", "Killin Time", "Nothin' Left to Lose", "Over the Mountain", "The Real Thing", "Revolution", "Searchin'", "Shake This Place", "Stuck on You", "That's Not Enough")
A4 ("Baby Wants", "Conspiracy", "Dance for Me Baby", "Deep in Her Heart", "Don't Turn Away", "Halfway There", "Hard Times", "Hard to Say Good-Bye", "Heat of the Moment", "Heaven It Cries", "Hey You", "Hold On", "I'm Gone", "Miss Elainious", "Never Givin Up", "Out for Love", "Outta My Head", "Somewhere Isn't Here", "Thy Will Be Done", "Times They Change", "Turn It", "You Are the One")


Significant Low Notes:

E3 ("Deep in Her Heart", "Hard to Say Good-Bye", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Real Love", "Spend My Life", "Take Me Away", "Thy Will Be Done", "Yesterday's Gone")
E♭3 ("Live Like There's No Tomorrow", "Nothin' Left to Lose", "On My Own", "The Real Thing", "Stuck on You", "Supernatural")
D3 ("Disposable", "Don't Turn Away", "Baby Wants", "Fly to the Angels", "Hard Times", "Heaven It Cries", "It'll Be Alright", "Let the Good Times Roll", "Miss Elainious", "Outta My Head", "Take Me Away")
C♯3 ("Forevermore", "Reckless", "Stuck on You")
C3 ("American Pie", "Bad Groove", "Don't Turn Away", "Headin for A Dream", "Move to the Music", "Old Man", "Perfect World")
B2 ("Not Here", "Rocky Mountain Way", "Turn It")
B♭2 ("Old Man", "Times They Change")
A2 ("Disposable", "Hard Times", "Heat of the Moment", "Hey You", "Mad About You", "Reckless", "Rocky Mountain Way", "Tongue N' Groove")
G♯2 ("Hold On", "The Wild Life")
G2 ("Old Man")
F♯2 ("Wingin' It")
F2 ("American Pie")
E2 ("Do Ya Know")
C2 ("Do Ya Know")
B1 ("Deep in her Heart")
B♭1 ("Wingin' It")

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}
G6 "Burnin' Bridges" [1]
C6 "Naughty Naughty" [1]
G5 "Bad Groove" [1]

A2 "It'll Be Alright" [3]
G2 "Burnin' Bridges", "Can We Find A Way" [3]
E2 "Miss Elainious" [3][4]
E♭2 "I'm Gone" [3]
D2 "Hard Times" [5]
C2 "Old Man" [4a][5]
A1 "Old Man" [4a][5]
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
This note was pitched as a C2 in the original range video for Mark Slaughter, but as an A1 on his old threads on The Range Place. It's somewhat tricky to pitch being so brief and fry-ish, but that's all the more reason why it's not 'significant'.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Album Ranges}With Vinnie Vincent Invasion:
All Systems Go (1988) A3-A5

With Slaughter:
Stick it to Ya (1990) B♭1-C6
The Wild Life (1992) C2-D6
Fear No Evil (1995) A2-D3-A5
Revolution (1997) F2-A5
Back to Reality (1999) C3-A5

Solo:
Back In the Saddle (EP) (2007) F3-F♯3-G♯5
Reflections In A Rear View Mirror (2015) B1-C3-C6
Halfway There (2017) A2-B5

(note that album ranges include bonus tracks released on these respective albums)

.......................................................
Blue marks falsetto or whistle notes.
Underlines mark notes that are obscured in the song mix.
Italics mark non-melodic notes.
Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.

Mark Slaughter was one of the final big stars of the North American 'glam metal' scene. First releasing one album alongside former KISS guitarist Vinnie Vincent in 1988, he subsequently fronted his own band, Slaughter, who debuted in 1990 with the album Stick it to Ya to considerable commercial success. Subsequent albums, however, proved less successful as the popularity of the contemporary rock scene declined steeply throughout the 1990s; Slaughter's most recent album was 1999's Back of Reality. After a long period of only sporadic appearances, he has more recently restarted his own solo career, with two solo albums in recent years, most recently 2017's Halfway There.

[Zedd Squared]

lol I love how random his album ranges are, particularly on the low end. You'd think he'd have more lows in his solo career and yet he goes from 90s albums having 1st and 2nd octave notes somewhat reliably and then suddly bottoming at a backing vocal F3. Dafuq?

Also, you're missing a closed parentheses symbol on the American Pie F2 field.

[falsetokaiba]

Some more lows in his solo stuff to pad out that SLN section would definitely be nice :) It feels ridiculous starting his lows at F#3 when he's got countable first octave notes, but even at that his lows section still looks tiny.

[Henny Macc]

Call me crazy, but upon rechecking "Wingin' It" I'm actually hearing it get as low as G♯1! :eek:

[Henny Macc]

Found this from the archives. C♯5s and E5s on the first few choruses, a very agile G♯5 at 2:08, then a key change on the last chorus that brings it up to D5s and F5s, and a G5 sliding up to A5 at 3:03.

I forgot just how INSANELY easy this guy's highs were back in the day. O_o

[Henny Macc]

Found an acoustic performance of "Up All Night (Sleep All Day)" played a half step higher than the original, so C♯5s on most choruses, D♯5s on the key change at the end, and a big ol' G♯5 in the middle just before the guitar solo:


I also like how he manages to make Eric Martin's voice sound low by comparison

[Henny Macc]

Found what's either another D6 or a sharp C♯6 here!

[falsetokaiba]

Nice finds with the first two, I'll add them. The Eye to Eye one sounds like a C#6 to me (at least, it's what I think he was going for). Kinda shrieky but still, another black sixth octave note is still pretty nuts

[Henny Macc]

vocaroo.com/1aJ3Z2MBfO4x
Really cool cover of "Unholy" by Kiss here, with a much gruffer and grittier tone than I've ever heard Mark sing with before! He really adapts well to Gene Simmons' stylings in this one and delivers it very faithfully. B4s on every verse, C♯5s on every chorus, and I think the final slide at the end gets up to F5.